


Sehnsucht

by Daphnean



Series: Soo Saptember [13]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Fluff, M/M, New York City, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 20:30:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15979931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daphnean/pseuds/Daphnean
Summary: Yixing and Kyungsoo's New York roadtrip told in snapshots from the journey.





	Sehnsucht

_The first picture is a car selfie. Yixing is the driver’s seat, looking sleepy but excited, his dimple present as he smiles. Kyungsoo looks equally as awake, his glasses sliding partway down his nose, but smiling as well._

Kyungsoo stared intently at his phone, scrolling through their checklist for the trip one last time. Yixing turned his attention back to their Garmin, carefully trying to type in the address of their hotel. He kept accidentally hitting the back key, having to start typing all over again. With a huff, he sat the device on his knee, reaching for his coffee instead.

“It’s too early for technology.” Yixing let the scent of his drink fill his nose, hoping for a bit of caffeinated clarity.

Kyungsoo reached over to pat his thigh, careful not to knock their Garmin to the floor. “I know the feeling. As far as I’m aware, we have everything. Want me to take care of that for you?”

“Please? You’re an angel, babe.” Another drink of coffee, and Yixing was beginning to feel like himself again.

Brows tight with concentration, Kyungsoo began to type in the address, satisfied after a moment as he attached it to the windshield. “There we are.”

Placing his drink back into the cup holder, Yixing smiled over at his boyfriend, bringing his hand to his lips to brush a kiss against his knuckles. “Ready for an adventure, babe?”

“With you? Always.” Kyungsoo’s smile wasn’t quite megawatt yet, with the sun just barely warming the horizon, but it was still beautiful.

Letting his boyfriend’s hand go, Yixing started the car and they began down the road. Maybe it was the hour, or both of them still sleep-addled, but neither moved to talk yet or put on their music. The hum of the engine and the occasional robotic quip from their navigator were the soft accompaniment of the morning.

Yixing’s focus was mostly on the road, but he was able to catch brief glimpses of the sunrise between buildings when they reached stoplights. The canvas of the sky was truly breathtaking, and while he’d never manage to see it without the motivation like a trip to New York, he was thankful for the view.

“Oh, shit, weren’t we going to take a picture before we headed out?” Kyungsoo had been watching out the passenger window (the sunlight beautiful against his skin, Yixing couldn’t help but notice), but he turned back towards him with a slight frown. “Baekhyun’s tired of us never taking enough when we go on trips without him.”

Yixing, slower with the hour, perked briefly. “He did. We could pull off and take a cute road selfie? He’d like that. Plus that will probably be the best thing to photograph till we hit the mountains.”

“That’s fine with me. Let’s use your phone, though. You have the better camera.” Kyungsoo turned his attention to the backseat, grabbing the licorice as he spoke.

Moving to a small side street to pull off, Yixing parked and slid his hand into his pocket only to discover that his phone wasn’t there. Puzzled, he blinked as he looked down, as if that would make the device appear, only to have the distinct memory of leaving it sitting on their dining room table.

Kyungsoo, candy hanging from his mouth, looked at his boyfriend in exasperation. “You didn’t.”

“Well, we can never claim our trips are boring.” Yixing grinned over at him, leaning over to steal a bite of candy from him. “The lighting will be better by the time we get back home for the picture anyways.”

–

_Kyungsoo has a spoon half-hanging from his mouth, chocolate at the corner of his mouth and on his lower lip. His eyes are closed as he appears to be savoring the towering mass of chocolate, ice cream, and whipped topping just visible in frame of the photo._

Yixing had surprised his boyfriend with the stop to Hershey’s Chocolate World, just a small drive from the hotel in Harrisburg where they’d crashed last night. Kyungsoo had been too pliant in the morning to care much where they were going, although he did brighten immensely once he realized their destination.

And it hadn’t disappointed either of them. Kyungsoo had likened it to the “closest thing to Willy Wonka’s factory, without the human rights violations of the Oompa Loompas.” Yixing had just been surprised at the singing animatronic cows and how the Jolly Rancher mascot looked straight from the nineties. Once they realized they could have lunch there, they gladly shared a slice of pizza before heading straight towards the ice cream.

“Okay, the town itself is lovely and coming to this is free.” Kyungsoo sighed contentedly around another spoonful of ice cream. “I think we should move.”

Yixing wasn’t too far off from agreeing to that idea. “I sent Zitao the picture of our dessert and he sent me every sad-faced emoji he could find. And then he told me how much he hated me.”

As he wasn’t much for social media, Kyungsoo likely hadn’t shared anything yet, but Yixing could imagine the rest of their friends would have similar reactions. “I have a feeling Chanyeol and Baekhyun will want to come next time. We’ll have to rent something bigger than the Tardis.”

Even though he was well aware of the nickname for their little blue car, every time their homage to Doctor Who was brought up, Yixing had was briefly confused as he tried to decipher the meaning. The next trip involving more of their friends didn’t seem like a bad prospect, but for now, Yixing was perfectly content to keep this just between the two of them.

Taking a dollop of whipped cream and plopping it onto Kyungsoo’s nose, Yixing bubbled with laughter as his boyfriend scowled, screwing his eyes together to try and look at the offending sweetness. “Really, Xing?”

Leaning forward, he licked it off of the smaller man. “Looks better on you anyways.”

“You’re so gross.” Kyungsoo’s smile said otherwise.

–

_In this photo, Yixing’s asleep, face pressed to the map of a subway unfolded on the bed. He’s in a pair of ratty, blue plaid pajama pants and shirtless._

Both of them were “one trip” kind of people, so by the time they reached their second floor hotel room, their arms and hands were indented with the strain of their luggage, bags of snacks, and souvenirs. Kyungsoo had methodically began setting his load into various parts of the room, while Yixing just let it fall as soon as they crossed the threshold. Soon enough he’d moved about the room and collapsed onto the bed, face first.

A soft caress to his calf. “I told you I could have driven through this stretch. And I thought Kentucky drivers were terrible...”

Yixing turned his head, looking back at his boyfriend who watched him with concern. “The construction made everything worse. I’m fine, baby. I promise.”

“You want the shower first?” Kyungsoo had pulled away, already beginning to unpack, settle in.

Yixing thought for a moment. “No, you can go ahead.”

Kyungsoo, always organized, easily located his pajamas (packed on top, what a clever man) and walked back towards the bed, kissing his temple. “Thanks, love.”

A few moments later and Yixing heard the water run, Kyungsoo’s phone beginning to play softly through the wall. Somehow he mustered the energy to stand and make it to his luggage, tugging out the subway map that his grandma had picked up for them. They’d had a few different destinations in mind, when hitting the city, and while Kyungsoo had been before, Yixing had not. It couldn’t hurt to be familiar, right?

Before he opened the map, he looked through the photos on his phone, uploading a few of them to his Instagram to keep their friends following along their trip. There was a pretty shot of Kyungsoo at one of the scenic rest stops they’d discovered along the road that Yixing absolutely loved. It was also now his phone lock-screen, but he was sure that by the end of the trip he’d have a dozen more pictures to choose from. His boyfriend was truly stunning.

_BBhyunie04 commented: wow. model!Soo is my favorite. get his autograph for me. <3333  
PCYolo commented: Thanks for the picture, Xing hyung!!! Tell Soo to txt me back pls!!!!!_

Yixing chuckled, setting his phone aside before trying to open the map without ripping it apart.

Kyungsoo’s voice sounded far away and Yixing had remembered the crinkling of paper beneath his cheek, but now there was only the soft comforter beneath his head. Disoriented, he scrunched his face, still not wanting to open his eyes.

“My sleepy Xing.” Kyungsoo’s voice was prettiest like this, when he was fond. “You can shower in the morning. Let’s get you tucked into bed proper.”

Yixing let Kyungsoo maneuver him under the duvet, let himself be tugged into the smaller man’s arms so he could fall right back to sleep.

–

_The sun is painting the sky in this picture and the Statue of Liberty can be clearly seen behind Yixing and Kyungsoo, standing close together. Yixing has his arm around Kyungsoo and a bright grin. Kyungsoo’s expression is slightly more reserved, but just as warm._

Yixing knew that Kyungsoo, despite being well-aware of the crowds, was not prepared to handle them ever. Be it New York or the middle of Iowa, Kyungsoo did much better with small groups. New York wasn’t ever going to cater to his social needs, but Yixing could do his best to control what he could.

The crush of people waiting for the ferry was a heavy mix of tourists and locals alike, some people moving nearly nose to back while others seemed to unaware of the pockets of free space they left around themselves. Yixing kept Kyungsoo’s hand, occasionally looking over and giving the man a reassuring squeeze.

To his credit, Kyungsoo didn’t look any more sour or unhappy than usual, although the set of his jaw was a little too tight. The moment that people began to move, a cumbersome crawl onto the boat, Yixing held his breath, thankful when they reached the decks that they had a good vantage point for the statue.

Once they’d sat down, Kyungsoo visibly loosened, his shoulders relaxing and his smile a little more natural. “Sorry. I can’t imagine people that use this to get into the city every day.”

“Me either.” Yixing kept his boyfriends hand, playing with their fingers. “Do you think someone would take a picture of us together?”

Although he didn’t think it was an odd request, Kyungsoo’s expression was briefly bemused. “Getting tired of selfies?”

“You caught me. Grandma wanted some more pictures of us from “more than just the neck up.” I could hear her unspoken judgment of young people today in it.” Yixing loved his grandmother, but sometimes she acted her age in the worst ways. It was tolerable of course, but some days he just wanted to shake his head at her.

Kyungsoo, such a good boyfriend, didn’t seem detoured by her wishes. Once the boat began to draw closer, the statue in better view behind them, he turned to the couple sitting beside them. “Excuse me, but could you take a picture of us?”

Negotiations made, they’d photograph the couple in return, and soon they were standing for their photo. Kyungsoo seemed unsure how to pose, so Yixing stepped in, slipping an arm around him. Both of their expressions would be more natural that way.

Once finished with their impromptu photoshoot, Kyungsoo turned out towards the water, the breeze in his hair. Yixing moved to lean against him. It could be a place of contemplation, thinking of the history of the waterway they crossed and lady liberty watching over it all, but Yixing’s thoughts were lost in the murk of the seawater, the bite of the near-evening breeze. He existed and nothing more.

–

_There’s barely a touch of light still in the sky, just enough so that Yixing and Kyungsoo can still be seen well in their selfie. Times Square is still striking; colorful and wild with advertisements and people. Yixing is leaned in, kissing Kyungsoo’s cheek. They both look in love._

Kyungsoo snuck in and claimed a table outside of the Sephora before another party could take it, resting some of their bags on top. Yixing could see a peek of some of their cheesy “I Heart NY” purchases, gotten for Chanyeol and Baekhyun of course. His feet were aching from all of the walking they’d done that day, but he was also insanely satisfied with all the souvenirs they’d chosen for their friends and family.

Kyungsoo pulled a bottle of water from his backpack, taking a drink before handing it over to him. “So tell me, what do you think of New York now, two days in?”

“Hmm.” Yixing tapped the rim of the bottle to his lips. “It’s got you in it now, so it’s vastly improved since before we arrived.”

Kyungsoo gave him a look, even if the flush on his cheeks was telling. “Yixing.”

“You asked for my honesty.” Yixing grinned before taking a drink. “I...I feel like that’s like asking to describe the world, fit it on the head of a pin. There’s just so much. I like all of the possibility. Every corner could be something amazing or terrible all at once.”

Mulling over his answer, Kyungsoo nodded. “That seems about right. But it also oddly makes me homesick, even there’s so much to love.”

“Why, are you being sentimental, Do Kyungsoo?” Yixing teased, elbowing him.

Kyungsoo scrunched his nose. “I’m not the one who bought a giant Stitch plush at the Disney store on a whim.”

“It was a good deal! Plus, he’s so cute! The puppies will love him.” Yixing pulled the stuffed animal out, holding him in his arms, careful not to brush him against the side of the table and get him dirty. “I remember loving the movie as a kid, watching it with my grandparents.”

Kyungsoo leaned against him as he spoke. “She’ll love hearing about you freaking out over the pigeons.”

“In my defense, there was an army of them.” Yixing looked down at the stuffed toy and tried not to shudder at the memory. He wasn’t the biggest fan of birds, and while Kyungsoo did help him, he also laughed as he did so.

Kyungsoo hummed in affirmation, slowly pulling his head back to straighten once more. “Yixing?”

He turned, Kyungsoo’s voice grabbing his attention, like a gentle pressure to his chin. “Yes, baby?”

“I love you.” In the harsh light of the city, the conversation of the crowd around them a constant undercurrent, the words felt so soft. Kyungsoo had warmed up a great deal to physical displays of affection, to confessions, but this was so candid and open of him. For this moment alone, the trip was worth all of the traffic jams and expensive hotel nights.

“Soo.” He safely tucked his Stitch away, while also sneakily grabbing his phone. He leaned in and kissed the other man’s cheek, making sure to take a picture while he did so. “Love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try something a little different with this piece. I've read a few pieces that use photographs to showcase little vignettes of characters interacting and thought it would be the perfect fit for a roadtrip concept. The trip to NYC is based on my own trip I took earlier this year, although LaySoo don't exactly have the same experiences (I'm sadly single so no cute couple selfies for me). These two have a really calming, soft presence that I really like to capture in writing.
> 
> EXO and all other Kpop entertainers presented here are real people and so I remind you that this is just a fic, like a play with their stage personas as the actors. This is not intended to be a representation of who these men and women are or are not. Remember to love and respect them always. And thanks for reading! <3


End file.
